Save a Little Space for Members

Wed, 2009-09-23 17:17

While I was in Boulder, CO, two weeks ago on business, I worked out at a local club affiliated with the hotel where I stayed (and the club at which my boss is a member). The club seemed very clean, pleasantly designed with plush white towels and sanitizing spray (plus paper towels) ready for anyone who needed them. The locker room was gorgeous. However, if I was overweight, I don't think I would be a member at this club. Why? Because they obviously didn't want me to be a member. How could I tell? The cardio equipment was so packed together in one tiny area of the club, that if I had been a heavy person, I would have caused myself huge embarrassment trying to get between two pieces of equipment. Even at my normal weight, I was uncomfortable walking between the equipment, so I hopped on the first equipment I came to.

Why in the world would such a nice club place its equipment in such a way? The ellipticals and treadmills were set up so they touched from front to back, meaning the rows—if you could call them rows—were to the side of each piece of equipment. That type of layout would be fine if more room had been allotted for the rows. I'm certain the spacing did not meet ADA requirements.

And the layout definitely would cause anyone who is heavy to walk out the door without signing up for a membership. In fact, during my one-hour workout in the early morning hours on a Thursday, I did not see a single heavy person walk into the club. Boulder is one of the healthiest cities in the country. Perhaps it just doesn't have any overweight citizens?